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CHAIRMAN'S REPORTS
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January 22nd 2012
Sarah Bonnell School,
Deanery Road
Stratford E15 4LP
Chairman's report for 2011
Good afternoon fellow members and a warm welcome to Sarah Bonnell School in Stratford for this the Society’s 33rd AGM. Although somewhat less grand than last year’s venue I hope that Sarah Bonnell’s functionality has enabled a much smoother day than last year’s which was fraught with problems (I write this on the Thursday before the AGM). I should also mention that it is some 31 years since I was last in a School in Newham!
This is my last report to you as Chairman, a role I was asked to take over in May 2009. Having been an active volunteer for 25 years out of 31 years membership, I feel the time has come for me to hand on to take a break and hand on to someone else. Last year I said that 2010 had been one of consolidation, and I believe that in 2011 we have started to move forward, slowly but surely.
FINANCIAL
Through David Wright’s excellent stewardship the society has continued to remain stable and although I am no accountant, a glance at this year’s accounts testifies to that. David has given advance warning of his intention to stand down today also.
Whilst he will of course be a sad loss to the society, he leaves the accounts in a healthy and streamlined state, making the job for his successor so much easier, amounting to no more than 2-3 hours per week at busy times. I am sure that you all join me in thanking David for his hard work on our behalf.
Carole Moon has continued her slavish devotion to Gift Aid and has completed our claim for 2010; this meant we received just over £5k before Christmas, which will not be shown in David’s accounts today. Gift Aid reclaimed amounts to approx £37k raised for the Society including interest. Well done Carole!!
However I hope the future Committee will carefully look at how this money can be put to the good use of Family History in East London rather than be used to subsidise membership. I know David feels the same way.
MEMBERSHIP
It goes without saying that Sandra’s hard work as Membership Secretary throughout the year is perhaps one of the unsung jobs on the Executive Committee. As at 31 December 2011, our membership stood at 2197, a drop of 279 on last year, (December 2010 was 260 down on the previous year as a comparison).
However this does not account for those members (some serial offenders) who are a perennial bugbear by renewing late which makes more work for her and creates more cost to the Society. You know who you are!!!
Sadly in December, our New Members Secretary Jack Jackson took the difficult decision to retire from doing this valuable job. I am glad to say that Sandra has characteristically agreed to take on this extra work – as well as being Chairman of our Newham and Redbridge Branch! They say if you want something done ask a busy person – Thank you Sandra.
I am sure that you all join me in sending Jack our sincere thanks for his hard work for the Society over the years.
PROJECTS
A new kid on the block this year I am pleased to say is Linda Kuyper. Already an active member at Havering, Linda kindly stepped up to take on the knotty role of Projects co-ordinator. I am amazed by how much she has achieved in such a short space of time.
Helped by John Reynolds we will shortly see the completion of over 43000 baptisms for St Luke Victoria Dock 1875-1921. Rather than sell this as in the past on CD for profit, we have decided that as we have funds to upload this index free onto the Society Website together with our pre 1841 Censuses for Poplar and Hackney.
This is also in line with our aims as a charity “To preserve and transcribe or publish original source materials including documents and monumental inscriptions”. We plan to add to these, over time so ensure you regularly check out the society website!
Linda has a list of members willing to help her – just fewer than 2% of our membership! Why don’t you drop her an email if you can spare an hour or so a week? The more helpers, the greater the results!
Work continues on Trinity Chapel Poplar Baptisms and Burials from 1842. Copies of these records were kindly made available by our second speaker today, Malcolm Barr-Hamilton from Tower Hamlets Local history Library and Archives. They have been indexed by members of both the Havering and Newham and Redbridge Branches at monthly meetings.
This was a first for Havering and I was gratified by their support in this venture. These are both examples of working in partnership, something I have been keen to see in my time as Chairman, as the results clearly benefit us all.
Many of you are aware that the Essex Record Office launched their own pay per view site Essex Ancestors (www.essexancestors.co.uk) before Christmas. Going it alone from the giants of Find my Past and Ancestry, they have been brave in this venture which was explained to us by their Archive Service Manager to Linda and me on a visit before Christmas.
The reason for the visit was that we were concerned that our Victoria Dock work was in vain – gladly it is not as it augments their work; Essex Ancestors shows digital images of registers only and is not to be searchable. We anticipate that this will be the start of a closer partnership with the Essex Record Office as their records cover the area from here in Stratford/Newham out eastwards to the M25 known as “Metropolitan Essex”.
Most of the records westwards towards the City are now being made available on Ancestry.com; the latest being London Electoral Registers 1835-1965. The modern digital world of Family History seems to change on a daily basis - a far cry from when were founded in 1978!
WEBSITE
Whilst with Technology, I am glad to report that Bill Hughes, our webmaster, continues to update and improve our website. Highly commended In the Federation of Family History Societies 2010 Best Website competition we eagerly await the results of the latest competition!
The Members only message board continues to thrive with 1211 members registered and the “requests for assistance” with that brick wall having had 2450 posts.
I am pleased that Mike Loney from Wales and Charlie Mead from Essex are new moderators along with Sandra Patchett, Brenda Keer, Val in “Sunny Queensland” and of course Bill.
Thanks guys for your doggedness in helping fellow members with their research queries. That is what we are about in our constitution- “To promote and encourage the public and private study of family history, genealogy, cultural heritage, heraldry and local history with particular reference to the eastern area of Greater London.”
PUBLICITY
In recent years, the website has in most respects been our only publicity. Sadly despite my appeal last year and in recent Cockney Ancestors, no one came forward to help coordinate publicity at a local level – and for those who are not computer minded.
Without this post being filled the Society’s profile locally is dependent on the officers of each Branch (who have enough to do) and has no proper co-ordination. This really needs to change, for as a result we are unable to attract, maintain and retain local people who are in effect the future doers of the society. I regularly get local newbie’s visiting me at Newham Register Office blissfully unaware of our Society.
All this means that they go off to join Ancestry or some other subscription website, not knowing what we can offer and share with them away from their desks and armchairs adding to their knowledge of Family history. A sad indictment on our aims to promote Family History in East London. The Society relies on volunteers to stay alive!
Next Month sees the now annual “Who do you Think you Are“ Show at Olympia. I am pleased that we have decided to take a stand there after several years. This will be lead by Melissa Ford who runs the Bookstore. I would like to thank her for her hard work taking the bookstore to meetings –today included, fairs and running the online service (as well as acting as vice chair!).
With so much available online these days (and available from Amazon etc), sales of books have declined and Melissa quite rightly sees our presence at fairs and at other events as a way of getting the society known and raising its profile. If you are going to the fair, we look forward to seeing there so please drop by and say hello.
COCKNEY ANCESTOR
Our other window on the world is Cockney Ancestor. I have been impressed this year, by the hard work that Vera Bangs and the Editorial team put into maintaining and improving an excellent journal. I was pleased to read in the latest CA that many of you have now decided to put pen to paper or “e” to mail and submit articles to YOUR journal.
Without your experience, knowledge and family history, Cockney Ancestor is nothing. Now that I am standing down, I hope to be able to contribute more regularly.
BRANCHES
On a local level, our 4 branches and computer group continue to flourish.
After some debate, our friends at Bishopsgate voted to continue to meet on a Friday, but as the Institute Library now closes Friday afternoons this might change. The branch also ran a successful stand at the London Maze at the Guildhall Library on our behalf.
Barking and Dagenham branch have had problems with local parking controls and their venue. This has had an effect on the attendance and they hope to move in early 2012 to a new one in Dagenham. Look out for details on the Society Website.
I would also like to thank Melissa and Sharon Aylward who represent us once a month at family history sessions at Valence House helping those with queries.
A large attendance continues at Havering, several members taking advantage of visiting the Computer Group in the Morning. The Computer Group publishes a monthly newsletter and continues to vary its programme with speakers and domestic workshops, where as the Havering Branch traditionally provides a speaker type meeting.
I was glad that the branch after some persuading held a project meeting an in March and I hope that they may consider doing so again as I do not feel we are there to just provide tea and a talk.
I was pleased to read Sandra’s comments as Chair of Newham and Redbridge at their BGM. In the past year they had held 4 non speaker meetings – 3 of which were project meetings. Whilst attendance dropped at these meetings, she made no apology for this as she believes as do I that the Society should be there to help investigate and record family history and that we have to put something back in.
By holding these meetings also we enable members to socialise and share information with each other on an informal basis.
I am aware also all that the branches organise occasional walks and visits which have proved very successful with members, particularly Bishopsgate, whose walks are almost monthly before their meeting.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Whilst the branches have their own Committees, it is the Executive Committee that is responsible for the main organisation and running of the Society.
Meeting every 2-3 months, it is also attended by a representative from each branch to discuss reports on Membership, Accounts, production of Cockney Ancestor, Editorial, Projects and Branches, outside correspondence and so on.
Members should be aware that this is not run by some clique who hold the reins, but by a small group of people who work hard for the society as a whole all year round, and some have done so in some cases for more years than they can remember or wish to! Their dedication to you and the Society is astonishing.
I am extremely grateful to them and others for their support and friendship in my time as your Chairman. I know that my successor will have the same support. I ask that you show your gratitude to them and all other volunteers in the usual manner…
In conclusion, I have been made aware during my chairmanship that my views on what the society is, and should be, are not necessarily the same as those of others; that is understandable and to be expected.
However I feel that in the fast changing world of family history, we like other societies are in danger of being left by the wayside. Nationally, many societies have seen a continual fall in membership in the face of the mammoth growth of websites digitising records, which have in turn made family history “easier” and the fastest growing leisure activity for people of all ages.
One only has to see the number of FH magazines available in WH Smith etc. to see that. Why is this decline happening? Indeed, is there a need for Family History Societies today?
(This report was written before Nick Barratt as President of the Federation of Family History Societies gave his talk in the morning and may well have touched on this subject).
We as a society are fortunate to have an excellent website and journal but to maintain interest and membership as a Society, do we need to ask ourselves if we meet the needs of the modern family historian and look afresh at what we do?
I would like to thank you all for the opportunity of being your Chairman and wish my successor and the committee all the very best for the future.
Stephen Park
January 2012.